


Fun Facts

by kampix



Series: Cutscenes That might Have Been [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Player, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 19:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6252433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kampix/pseuds/kampix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helping the Junimos sparks an interesting conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fun Facts

The last of your crops had finally matured and a trip to the community center on this beautiful, if a bit windy, fall afternoon had been in order.

As the Junimo carried off your offering, you exited, reward in hand. You were eager to place it on your farm as soon as possible.

"Hi, _____! What were you doing in there?"

You turned around; searching for whomever had spoken and spotted Maru easily. She was perched on the stone structure situated to the right of the lapidated building, legs hanging just above the ground.

You went to join her, enthusiastically showing off the new box like construction you carried. Maru seemed to know what it was instantly.

"That's a bee house, right?" You nodded, but she was talking again before you've even had a chance to properly respond. (It didn't really matter; you knew she was just asking to start a conversation.)

"I was thinking about getting one myself. It would be interesting to study how bees interact with their environment based on factors affecting the local area..." She trailed off.

"Oh, sorry." She looked at you and giggled slightly. "I probably lost you halfway didn't I?"

You shrugged, unfazed. It didn't matter whether you understood what Maru said or not, you enjoyed listening to her all the same. She was always so passionate about her interests.

Your reaction encouraged her to go on.

"I've been meaning to take a closer look at wildlife recently. There's just so much to learn about it." 

She tapped a hand against her thigh; a sign that revealed she was about to share a new idea. "Oh, maybe I could come around to your place at some point, for a few times, and study your bees. My father told me he had a similar arrangement with you."

Maru stared at you hopefully. "That would be okay with you, right?"

Of course. You didn't mind at all and made sure she was aware of it. There was a short silence afterwards; during which you placed the wooden box on the ground. Then Maru seemed to remember something.

"Oh, did you know honey never goes bad? I've been reading about various insects and learned that no matter the amount of time, it'll always be edible. Amazing, don't you think?"

You were impressed. It showed on your face.

Suddenly there was a strange glimmer in your friend's eyes. You wondered what she'd say next.

"Here's another one for you. Did you know that honey is in fact digested multiple times by different bees before transforming into the final product as we know it? Interesting, isn't it?"

She grinned. You hadn't expected her to say that and Maru knew it.

Your mind told you your first instinct should have been to answer "ew" and hold off on eating honey for a while, but that wouldn't do and so you ignored it.

You could always respond with "obviously, everyone knows that". After all, you were the only farmer around here. It was a bit annoying to be the ignorant one when questioned about your own work.

You discarded that last thought quickly; you'd feel bad about it later if you said such a thing.

Then you realised: Maru still had that glint of something in her eyes. 

...She was waiting to see how flippant your answer would be! Well, how about that.

With that in mind, you settled for a "It really is. I seem to learn something new every day around here."

You smiled inwardly as her expression changed rapidly. Taken aback by your answer, Maru had stopped grinning, but it was back in full force only seconds later.

"I don't what I expected by telling you this. I think I chose the wrong audience..." She let out a laugh. "You're nothing like Haley, that's for sure. Maybe I should share this information with her the next time we meet."

You snorted at the thought. Telling Haley about this would just be downright cruel. The girl would probably try to ban honey from the town once she'd stop grimacing.

"Well," Maru's voice brought you back to the present. She was checking her watch. "I'd better go; it's getting late." 

Your friend jumped off of her makeshift bench. "It's was nice to talk with you. We should hang out again sometime. And I'll send you a letter about my research plans soon."

You picked up the bee house as she walked away. You'd better get home too. After all, you still had to find somewhere to place the hive before going to bed. 

You thought about the incredible amount of trees, rocks and weeds that still covered up most of the farm's land and sighed. Well, better get to it before the sun sets.

You headed home, speed hindered slightly by the weight you carried. In a couple of weeks, when you'd get your first harvest of honey, you might just hand it over to Maru... or maybe you'd give it to Haley.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist and wrote another cutscene like short story. I'll be writing others, but probably a bit more irregularly. Basically, whenever I'm inspired.


End file.
